Spot board



W. scHULTz ET AL 1,801,112

SPOT BOARD April i4, 71931.'

2 sheets-sheet 1 Filed May 51, 1928 IN VEN TORS' WJNMK April 14, 1931.

SPOT BOARD Filed may 31, 19'28 w. scHuL'rzET AL 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Y RNE S.

Patented Apr. 14, 1931 WILLIAM SCHULTZ AND JAMES ALLEN SCHULTZ, F J'ONESBORO, ARKANSAS SPOT BOARD Application filed May 31,

rIhis invention relates to spot boards which are used on railroad tracks for bringing sections of the track up to grade, for leveling, and for ballasting purposes. The use of spot i boards is well known to those skilled in the art, and the present device is intended to function infevery Vinstance and for all purposes wherein conventional spot boards are now employed. Objects ofthe invention are: to provide .an improved type spot board; to provide a novel spot `board supporting` and leveling means; `to provide an improved mounting for spot boards in relation to established grade levels; to provide an improved rabbet block sighting assembly for use in connection with the spot board; and to provide a spot board supporting' means which is p self-sustaining when in operation.

With these and such other objects in view as will be apparent from the description, the invention resides in the novel construction,

"combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which show in connection with the specification a preferred embodiment of the principles of our invention. l

Figure 1 is a perspective of a spot board 39 constructed in accordance with the principles of the invention and as mounted in operative position relative to track rails and a grade stake.

Figure 2 is an end elevationsubstantially `from the right `of Figure 1 and illustrating l -the spot board in section. p

i V,Figure 3 is a verticalfsection substantially jon the line 3-3 of Figure 2. A

Figure 4 is a horizontal-sectionfsubstan- 7e have illustrated the spot board as used Y in connection with'a track section having the conventional rails 5 mounted in the usual manner on Vcross ties 6, the assembly being shown in Figure las mounted substantially at a switch point. The spot board 7 is' of the lusual configuration of conventional spot boards, but is made longer than the ordinary` vspot board so that one end may be slidably supported through a receiving yoke member tially on the line 4 4 of Figures 2 and 3. i

i chored in any suitable manner, as by manual Serial N'o. 281,836.

8 having a socket 9 formed on its bottom face for reception over the top of a grade stake 10 located at one side of the track rails. These grade stakes 10 are a permanent part ofthe trackway, and are usually located about one hundred feet apart along the track rail and it is from these stakes that the grade levels for the track are established and maintained. Y

Thelower portion of the spot board is preferably painted black, while the upper portion is painted with a distinctive color, preferably white so that a distinctive sight line 11 is formed on each side face` of the board for a purpose hereinafter explained. Mounted on the upper edge of the spot board adjacent the end opposite from that which is engageable in the yoke 8, is a spirit level 12 of any suitable type which functions to aid in leveling` the spot board in relation to the track grade.

In service theend ofthe spot board adjacent thespirit level `12 is slidably supported in a substantially rectangular yoke 13 which is suspended by a swivel connection from the lower end of a. threaded bolt stem 14, which stem is vertically positioned and operates vertically through a cross head l5 carried at the upperends of a pair of side arms or uprights 16 having `their lower ends flared and secured to a base plate 17, which base plate is elongated and formed with a flat underface 18`for setting engagement over the head of one of the rails 5 as best shownin Figure 1. At opposite sidesof the base plate, preferably at each end, depending flanges 19 are provided which function to engage oppositesides of the rail head and maintain the supporting standard in upright position.

The upper end of the stem 14 is preferably formed as an operating crank handle 20 whereby the stem may be manually rotated for operating the spot board when an adjustment is desired in the level thereof. An-

gripping, within the cross head 15 is a nut 21 through which the stem 14 is threaded so that upon turning movement 'of the stem 14,

the same is raised or lowered vertically for v elevating or depressing the spot board when "m limit the sliding its end is seated within the yoke 13. The upright arms 16 are formed with opposed parallel inner faces 22 which are spaced apart sufficiently to provide a guideway for the yoke 18.

On opposite side faces. of the spot board and adjacent the end which k.is received.l in

the yoke 13, suitable stop members are pro-l vided, which in the present instance comprise a pair of angle irons 23, the out-turned flange portions of which are-adapted to engage against the standards 16 whereby te movement of the spot board and into the yoke 13. lf desired, the spot board may be anchored relative to the yo-ke 11S-by means of a cotter pin 2liwhich is passed f through the sides of th-e yoke and the spot purpose we prefer boardin the conventional manner. One side face of one of the arms 16, preferably the inner face relative to the trackway, is'provided with a scalestrip y25 and the upperl edge of the adjacent angle iron or stop member 23 is adapted to function/as a sliding pointer for cooperation with the scale strip in effecting a reading therefrom., For lthis that the top edge of the angle iron 23; be aligned with the sight line 11 on the spot'boa-rd. 1

The board is adapted to be used in connection with a pair of rabbet or sighting blocks 26 and 27 whichv are formed in thel blocks 26 and 27 an auxiliary spot board sup-v porting block 30 which is adapted to be seated on a rail' head under the spot board for sup-V porting theboard at a desired height. This auxiliary block vis provided with a series of stepped portions 31 whereby the spot board y tioned in a may be seated at any of a number lof differenty levels.

The operation of spot boards is wellknown to those skilled'in'tlie art and need not be deemed a! sufficient compliance with thestatute' to state briefly that when itis desired,

in one use of the board, to bring a track section up to grade, the spot board is positioned with one end engaged through the yoke mem-'j ber 8 which is seated over the appropriate 'grade stake V1() and its` opposite end is posi-Y movable yoke 13 whereupon by 'proper manipulation of the stem 14 the spot board is raised or lowered until the desired level is reached as indicated from the spirit levelY 12. -This spirit level beingy located at the movable end of the spot board is directly spirit level of said uprights,

adjacent an operator and this location facilitates speed of operation and accuracy of" alignment, necessitating` the services of but one operator at the elevating means. The supporting standard with its base plate 17 when placed on a rail head will by reason of the side flanges 19 maintain itself in upright position and therefore the necessity of bracing members is dispensed with. With the spot board properly leveled relative'to the 'established grade as indicated by the grade stake, the outermost rabbet block 27 is positioned on a properly leveled rail section andV j the inner block 26 is positioned on an intermediate rail section which` it is desired to bring upto proper grade. lflhe rail section upon which the block' 26 is -mounted may then be raised Vor lowered vby'suitable'jack means until its top 26 vsights Von a level with the top 28 of the" block 27 and the sight line 11 on the spot board. When this'point is reached, the' track section will 4be at the roper grade.

`While in this embodiment of the invention we have illustrated and describedl certain specific details entering intolthe'construction and operation thereof, we desire itl-to be understood that the invention is not to be limited specifically thereto, but that. any def sired changes and modifications may be made in the details as will fall within the scope of the inventionas claimed.

We claim having. a socket formed thereinfor seating engagement over the top ofthe grade stake, a spot board having one end formed for sliding supporting engagement through ysaid yoke member', track engageable means for supporting the opposite end of the spot board, and including means for lmoving said opposite end of the spot board in a vertical plane.

2. In a spot board assembly,`a spot board, a

porting one end of said spot board in a fixed relation relative to a grade stake,'a standard, means for mounting said standard over a rail head, a vertically movable stem lmounted in said standard, a'yoke swiveled on the lower end of said "stem for 'supportingthe opposite vend of said spot board, and means for retainsecured thereto, means for sup-i ing the adjacent end of the spot board'in engagement with said yoke.

3. In Vafspot boardr assembly, a standard comprising` a base plate having flanged portions for engagement with a rail head, parallelV spaced uprights extending from said base, a cross head connecting theupper ends a Vvertically movable stem disposed through said cross head and extending between said uprights, a non-traveling nut threaded overl said stem within said cross head, a yoke swiveled to the lower end of said stem and disposed between said uprights for In testimony whereof We afx our signau tures.

WILLIAM SCHULTZ. JAMES ALLEN SCHULTZ. 

